Page 17 of Graevale
“Have I done something to upset you?” Alex asked hesitantly, wondering why neither Kyia nor Zain had come to her aid yet, since surely they would have heard the commotion outside their tent. But then she realised that the Myrox coating the canvas also offered a soundproofing barrier, so her friends had no way of knowing she was there.
“Have you done something to upset me?” Gaiel repeated in a whisper, his feline features darkening with every word. He leaned forward and yelled straight into her face, “You’re the reason we’re stranded here, you filthy humankregon!”
Alex cringed at his harsh words, but otherwise didn’t have time to react to his accusation. And that was because he drew his sword and continued to shout, this time in Meyarin—a language he didn’t know she understood.
“You helped the Rebel Prince return to our city!” Gaiel roared. “And now our king is dead and his rightful heir lies sleeping forevermore!” His furious eyes pinned her. “There is no escape for you, human. If we send Aven your head, he may offer us leniency. Or indeed, he may not. But either way, I shall feel better when you no longer infect this world with the taint of your mortal blood.”
Alex felt her resolve strengthening in the face of such clear hatred. She had been through too much to be bullied by the likes of Gaiel, Meyarin council member or not.
Grateful her bond with Xiraxus allowed her to interpret his words, she was ready when he made his first move, swinging his sword straight at her neck. Part of her couldn’t believe he was actually following through with his threat. She knew he was desperate—just like the rest of the Meyarins, who didn’t step in to stop him—and while she felt compassion, it wasn’t enough to give up her life.
Summoning A’enara with a single thought, Alex met Gaiel’s blade mid-swing, with blue sparks leaping off her own weapon as the flames trailed harmlessly up the skin of her arm. She knew she presented an unorthodox sight to the surrounding Meyarins; a human who not only had the goldenvaelianabond, but also commanded the Sword of the Stars—a Tia Auran weapon held in great esteem amongst those from Meya. From her peripheral vision she saw wide eyes and heard gasps from the crowd. And not just because of her shining skin or magical blade.
It was also because of her swift reaction.
None of them, least of all Gaiel, had expected her to block his attack. She was only human, after all. And a human shouldn’t be able to match the speed or reflexes of a Meyarin.
His face reddening with anger, Gaiel pulled back before lunging at her again. And again. And again.
In barely a handful of moves, it became clear to Alex that her opponent had never been a member of theZeltora—Meya’s elite guard—nor did he have much fighting experience. She swept aside his attacks with little effort, grateful for Niyx’s ruthless training that made holding a defence against Gaiel as easy as breathing.
Having no desire to prolong their skirmish, when he came at her again, Alex ducked under his sword and spun behind him using a burst of Meyarin speed, kicking out one of his knees as she did so and circling A’enara around his blade until she had the leverage to force his weapon from his grip and onto the snow. In the blink of an eye she had him unarmed and on his knees, with A’enara pressed against his windpipe as she stood above him from behind.
“Are you done?” she demanded.
When he remained silent, whether in shock or defiance, she leaned down and hissed into his ear the same words, but in Meyarin. “Noran sae rellis, Loro Gaiel?”
He jerked in surprise, enough for A’enara to nick his skin and blue flames to touch his flesh. Alex wasn’t sure which hurt him more, but she presumed it was the fire since she knew the heat was blisteringly painful to anyone not bonded with the weapon. But given that Gaiel had just tried to decapitate her, she couldn’t bring herself to feel much guilt.
“What I would give to throw you off the side of this island right now!” Gaiel seethed in his native language. “No one would stop me—no one!”
“You’re hardly in a position to make such a threat,” Alex responded coolly, reverting to the common tongue. “Are you ready to get up? Or are you going to attack me again?”
Gaiel spat—actually spat—onto the snow in front of him.
“Sae teron mot devarsa!”
“Now, that’s just not very nice,” Alex said. But before she could decide whether or not to let him up despite him saying, ‘You deserve to die!’ another voice interrupted.
“In the name of the light, what is going on out here?”
Alex looked towards the hut and found both Zain and Kyia frozen outside the entrance and staring at the gathered assemblage with incredulity. She opened her mouth to respond, but a searing pain in her leg had her crying out and whipping back around to discover that Gaiel had thrust a concealed dagger deep into the flesh of her thigh.
Shoving the weaselly Meyarin away from her, she banished A’enara and wrapped both hands around the hilt of the dagger to yank it out, remembering afterwards that leaving it in would have helped stem the flow of blood.
“You slimy son of a—”
She didn’t get to finish her curse before Zain had the council member pinned by his neck up against the side of Roka’s tent.
“What is the meaning of this, Gaiel?” Zain roared in Meyarin, as Kyia crouched beside Alex to inspect her wound.
“The human has deceived us!” Gaiel shouted. “And in doing so, she has ruined us all!”
“What are you talking about?” Zain demanded. “Alex is a friend to Meya. You know this.”
“Thatgirl,” Gaiel spat, his eyes glaring daggers at Alex, “is no friend of mine. She might know our language and have fighting skills beyond those of a mortal, but as far as I’m concerned, she has doomed us to a fate worse than death. She returned Aven to our city—everythingthat has happened since then is her fault. She might as well have killed the king herself!”
It was Kyia who spoke up next, also in Meyarin, still kneeling beside Alex. “Stars, Gaiel! What’s the matter with you?”
